Nuts every day can lower heart disease risk

Nuts can help reduce the risk of suffering serious illness, say researchers

Eating a handful of nuts every day can help reduce your chances of suffering heart disease and other serious illnesses, scientists have claimed.

People who ate at least 20g of nuts daily saw their risk of developing heart disease fall by 30%, according to the study from Imperial College London. The risk for cancer fell by 15% and diabetes nearly 40%.

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Hazelnuts and walnuts were among the nuts mentioned. Peanuts, which are technically legumes, were also found to be beneficial. More than 800,000 people from across the globe took part in the study.

Study co-author Dagfinn Aune, from Imperial College London, highlighted the high levels of fibre, magnesium, and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts.

These nutrients are "beneficial for cutting cardiovascular disease risk," the researcher said.

The research associate went on to explain the relationship between nuts and disease risk beyond the heart.

"We found a consistent reduction in risk across many different diseases, which is a strong indication that there is a real underlying relationship between nut consumption and different health outcomes. It's quite a substantial effect for such a small amount of food."